Ron. STOP IT !!!At this rate my retirement fund is looking more and more meager. I'll end up having to live in a tent. So many gadgets, so many fancy tents, stoves, sleeping bags and even more gadgets.Bikes? It never ends! (Thinking about a Thorn or similar expedition/trekking model)I can't help myself. Aaargh, I'm going broke and having a great healthy time in the process.Mindless consumerism. Who, me?I WANT IT, NOW!

Tim wrote:Ron. STOP IT !!!At this rate my retirement fund is looking more and more meager. I'll end up having to live in a tent. So many gadgets, so many fancy tents, stoves, sleeping bags and even more gadgets.Bikes? It never ends! (Thinking about a Thorn or similar expedition/trekking model)I can't help myself. Aaargh, I'm going broke and having a great healthy time in the process.Mindless consumerism. Who, me?I WANT IT, NOW!

At least it will be a very nice Hilleberg tent you'll live in.

I bought the iPad Mini for work - I needed something easy to carry between office locations. But the more I've used it the more I've come to realise that it is actually the perfect size for touring. It has cell connectivity built-in, plenty of grunt, 128 gb of storage - and it runs all my favourite iPhone apps. There are also apps to batch upload my photos to Picasa, iPhoto and iMovie to organise photos and video and another to easily edit my Blogger blogs. The Retina screen is gorgeous to behold and easy on the eyes for reading. Using the keyboard cover means the screen isn't half covered by the soft keyboard, and offers enough protection that it's all that's needed. Battery life is excellent at around 10 hours, and although I could get a Limeade Blast for backup, but I don't really think I'd need it.

And I can reduce the number of chargers I need to carry from three to just one to charge all my devices - iPhone, iPad and camera.

RonK wrote:The Magellan Cyclo 505 will be released with Australian mapping just in time for Xmas. At last - a bike computer with features of interest to the touring cyclist. Time for me to start dropping a few hints I think...

Well the Magellan Cyclo 505 HC didn't make in time for Xmas, but it did make it in time for my birthday. And the hints (I'd forgotten I dropped them actually) worked. So I now have a shiny new gadget waiting to go on my bike this weekend.

And after reading some criticisms of the handlebar mount in early reviews of the Mio Cyclo, I was delighted to find an out-front handlebar mount included in the box. A quick look through the user manual shows that Magellan has also responded to comments about the dashboard screen layouts - all are now user-configurable.

Be seen on your bike with our fresh new Oska Fluro Orange Toastie Lite. Now with added ants.

The new and improved Toastie Lite Jacket has arrived. This is exactly what you need to keep you snug and warm during the cold and wet Winter months, and the cold and wet Summer months too! The fabric is now lighter, stretchier and more durable than the original Toastie Jacket, but it is still breathable, windproof and water resistant. So now there are no more excuses for staying inside when the weather is bad: get out there on your bike!

It's going to be much too warm for Brisbane weather but should work well for mexicans and kiwis (and itinerant cycle tourists). The technical details seems to be out of date however, as the Toastie is now made from a new hydrophilic fabric - ZeroWind by Pidigi.

Not just fluro either - quite few interesting designs including a very nice Wallace and Grommit.

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